Chicken tortilla soup is an easy recipe packed full of authentic Mexican flavors! This easy chicken tortilla soup recipe is filled with chicken, corn, chilis, black beans, and so much more. Then it’s topped with homemade tortilla strips for the perfect finish. It’s a tasty main meal or hearty appetizer.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken tortilla soup is always a favorite, whether it’s from your favorite Mexican restaurant, or made fresh right at home.
This tortilla soup with chicken is so easy and so tasty! It’s filling enough to make a whole meal out of it, but works great as an appetizer or side soup too.
This stovetop recipe is filled with all the best ingredients with just a bit of spice. Everyone in the household will love this!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe:
- Easy: Nothing could be easier than throwing ingredients in a pot, and letting it simmer on the stove.
- Flavorful: This soup is filled with chicken, chilis, rice, and lots of ingredients that cook together to create delicious flavor.
- Genuine: This tortilla soup recipe tastes like it’s straight from Mexico (or from your favorite Mexican restaurant), with all the flavors you’d expect.
Ingredient List
- Chicken
- Enchilada Sauce
- Water
- Rice
- Corn
- Black Beans
- Red Chilli Pepper
- Shredded Cheese
- Cilantro
- Salt&Pepper
- Lime Juice
How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Make the homemade tortilla strips by baking fresh tortillas in the oven.
- Fill a large pot with water, chicken, enchilada sauce, salt & pepper. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for 1 hour.
- Add rice and let it cook.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnish as desired, and enjoy!
What is Tortilla Soup?
Tortilla soup is a Mexican dish that is made with a chicken broth and tomato base. It incorporates traditional Mexican ingredients like corn, chili, lime, and cilantro, and then topped off with crispy tortilla chips. It’s mild in spice and it’s a hearty soup with rice that can easily be served as a main meal.
There is some red chili pepper in here to add some spice, but it’s not overwhelming. It evens out nicely into the soup as it simmers.
This soup needs about an hour and a half on the stove. We’re starting from scratch, so the chicken and rice need time to fully cook.
Serving Suggestions
This deliciously easy chicken tortilla soup makes a great main dish, appetizer, or side soup. It pairs well with salads, or your other Mexican favorites.
For toppings, I definitely recommend the tortilla strips. You can also add more shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, or olives.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use bone in chicken thighs for the richest flavor.
- Use your favorite jarred enchilada sauce to save on time!
- You can use canned, fresh or frozen corn in this recipe.
- Add an extra chilli if you like things spicy!
How long does chicken tortilla soup keep?
Once cooked, let the soup cool to room temperature, and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Save the tortilla strips separately so that they don’t get soggy!
Reheat the soup on the stovetop, but be mindful to only reheat it once since it contains chicken. Just reheat as much as you need for each serving.
Chicken tortilla soup can also be frozen, for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
Is chicken tortilla soup healthy?
This recipe makes enough soup for eight healthy portions and each serving is under 350 calories. The chicken and beans provide protein and fiber, and the rice provides carbohydrates. Full of fresh and healthy ingredients, this soup makes a great well balanced meal. Substitute chicken breast if you want to lighten things up.
This is hands-down the best chicken tortilla soup recipe because it’s so easy and so delicious. Making this at home is a breeze, and you can make it ahead of time so it’s ready to reheat for weeknight dinners.
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
This tasty chicken tortilla soup is an easy recipe packed full of authentic Mexican flavors and ingredients. This healthy soup recipe is topped with baked tortilla chips and is a tasty main meal or appetizer.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours 35 minutes
Instructions
For tortilla chips:
-
Preheat oven at 350C/170C
-
Line a baking sheet with baking paper
-
Cut tortillas into thin strips
2 8” tortillas
-
In a small bowl add the tortillas, olive oil and salt. Mix well until tortillas are evenly coated
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 8” tortillas
-
Arrange the tortilla strips onto the baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until golden brown
For soup
-
Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water, add the chicken, enchilada sauce, salt, black pepper and bring to boil
2 bone-in chicken leg quarters, 10 ounces red enchilada sauce, 1 tsp salt, 10 cups of water, 1 tsp black pepper
-
Simmer for 1 hour
-
Add the rice and let it cook for 20 minutes
¼ cup rice
-
Add the corn, beans and juice of lime, cheddar cheese and red chili peppers and simmer for 10 minutes
8.5 ounces canned corn, 15.25 ounces black beans, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, Juice of 2 limes, 1 red chilli pepper
-
Garnish with tortilla chips, sprinkle with some fresh cilantro and serve!
¼ cup fresh cilantro
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Amount Per Serving
calories 337
Calories from Fat 153
%Daily Value*
fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 1106mg48%
Potassium 351mg10%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 3g3%
protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 493IU10%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 129mg13%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe was contributed by Michaella at Well + Yum.
